One Last Hope
by TheGalleonQuill26371
Summary: As the seventh year at Hogwarts draws to a tantalising close, Neville Longbottom faces the hardships that come with the newly formed school and the absense of his three close friends Harry, Ron and Hermione. Amongst all of the adversity will Neville be able to hold up Dumbledore's Army? Will he ever see true happiness again? And ultimately will his One Last Hope be fulfilled?
1. Noteworthy News

**A/N Hey there once again! This is my first story and it's really short, I hope you enjoy it! Leave a review xx**

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Neville woke wincing from the wounds and bruises covering his body that were sustained from the previous night's punishment implemented by none other than Amycus and his beloved sister Alecto. He scowled at the thought of the Carrows. Neville had spent a good portion of this last year at Hogwarts wondering how two power-hungry and children-detesting Death Eaters were ever appointed in charge of all discipline.  
"Probably trying to shape us up to be like their precious Master, forcing us to use the Cruciatus curse, the ruddy gits." Neville muttered angrily to himself whilst clambering out of his four-poster bed. He dressed, attempting to force the resentful thoughts of the Carrows out of his mind.

Neville made his way through the familiar common room occasionally pausing to mumble a weary "mornin" to fellow Gryffindors. It was only when he climbed through the portrait hole that Neville realised what that day was**. **His eyes opened wide and his heart began thudding in his chest as the realisation dawned on him. Today marked the beginning of seventh year's final exams. And typically**, **he had forgotten.

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The entire day was a blur. Neville only recalled hastily shoving his meals down into his reluctant stomach and staring endlessly at exam questions that his unprepared brain couldn't seem to process. He wasn't fully confident in his Herbology examination even though he was the best in the year**.** Perhaps Professor Sprout would be lenient with him. He felt like he may have scraped through Charms at the very least, but Neville was still immensely frustrated with himself that he forgot about the exams. Seamus and Dean surely were studying vigorously for the past week. How had he, Neville, not noticed? Dark Arts was another thing. He had learnt so much about defence against them in his 5th year, but with a Death Eater telling the class morbid stories about how he used to kill Muggles for fun and torture witches and wizards who used to annoy him, it seemed impossible as to how they would get through that examination. Nevertheless, Neville felt like he went quite well.

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Exhausted, but still hoping to cram in some last minute revision before the next exam**-**filled morning, Neville, instead of making his way towards the portrait of the Fat Lady, directed himself further up the marble staircase as he had so regularly trained himself to do this year. When he finally reached the seventh floor, he filtered through the crowd dawdling in the left corridor and halted when he faced the blank wall, the tapestry and statue featuring Barnabas the Barmy behind him. Neville took a few deep breaths, then turned on his heel and walked past the wall three times, his eyes shut firmly, concentrating on what he needed most. When he opened his eyes again, a huge polished door had appeared. He seized the brass handle and pulled open the door.

This was his true common room. For the entirety of this year, the Room of Requirement was the hideout for the members of Dumbledore's Army. Neville loved this place. He couldn't help but grin as his eyes swept the multicoloured hammocks that were strung from the ceiling and the balcony that ran around the dark wood-panelled and windowless walls which were covered in tapestry hangings. He also quickly spotted the large blank portrait at the back of the Room. Neville's smile grew broader at the sight of the gold Gryffindor lion emblazoned on scarlet, the black badger of Hufflepuff set against yellow and the bronze eagle of Ravenclaw on blue. The silver and green of Slytherin were absent – and rightly so. He gazed at the bulging bookcase being curiously searched for interesting reads and the small cluster of broomsticks whose owners longed for a ride.

He turned and saw the piece of parchment that acted as a contract for all accessing the Room. The page that Hermione had scribbled over and enchanted in their fifth year. He drew closer to where the paper was magically pinned onto the stone pillar at the entrance. He saw Hermione's hastily written words 'Dumbledore's Army' on the top of the page and he felt his heart swell. His eyes drifted down to the names signed on the page and familiar faces rang out from the signatures._ Harry Potter, Hermione Granger, Ron Weasley, Lavender Brown, Parvati Patil, Padma Patil, Terry Boot, Ernie Macmillan, Anthony Goldstein, Luna Lovegood, Cho Chang, Ginny Weasley, Michael Corner, Dean Thomas, Seamus Finnigan_... Neville snapped out of his reverie when he spotted the large clump of students in the corner where the large wooden-cased wireless radio set.  
"Come over here Nev!" exclaimed Seamus who had just spotted Neville in the room. The other students beckoned him over but Neville had already crossed the room to see what the whole gathering was about. As he had presumed, they were all deeply engrossed with what news the reporter was conveying to them today.

"Great to have so many people tuning in for tonight's Potterwatch**-**" Neville immediately recognised this voice as Lee Jordan's, who frequently referred himself to as 'River' on this particular radio channel.  
"We apologise for the absence of our regular shows, but no matter, we are back on air and have some very startling yet brilliant news**.**" The clustered group dared to shuffle forwards to get a better listen of this intriguing story. "Before we continue with the report, let's welcome two of our old favourites - Royal and Romulus."  
"Evening River**.**" Came a deep, booming voice.  
"Hello River**.**" Resounded another familiar voice that belonged to Remus Lupin. They were all used to the code names that were used due to the countless number of nights they spent curiously listening to this station.

"Hi boys. Nice to see you both again. Now Royal, you have some very interesting news about Harry Potter**,** I believe?" Lee inquired. Neville felt the many bodies surrounding the radio stiffen.  
"Very interesting news indeed." said the resonant, confident voice again that Neville identified as Kingsley Shacklebolt's. "It has come to the Ministry's attention that yesterday afternoon Harry Potter and his two very good friends Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger caused a disturbance at the Gringotts Wizarding Bank. Rumour has it that they were accompanied by one of the Gringotts goblins whilst they broke into the popular bank to steal a small goblet. Workers were questioned and one has claimed that they were in possession of the sword of Godric Gryffindor during the break-in. The three seemed to have travelled down to a highly guarded vault belonging to the notorious Bellatrix Lestrange -" Neville went rigid and his hands clenched into fists inside the pockets of his robes**, **"-and they were also seen escaping on a rather small dragon that was initially kept in the bank as a guard of Bellatrix's vault."  
"Wow, what a fascinating story!" Lee replied. Everyone in the room sat gaping at the radio. They were reflecting what Neville felt - too shocked for words. "Thank you very much for that report Royal. Romulus, what do you make of all this?"  
"I still stick by what I said before. I have full faith in Harry, Ron and Hermione. Whatever job they had at Gringotts I hope they have achieved and I am convinced that Harry knows exactly what he is doing."  
"Thank you very much for those encouraging words Romulus," said Lee. "Listeners, that brings us to the end of another Potterwatch. We don't know when it will be possible to broadcast again, but you can be sure we shall be back. Keep twiddling those dials: the next password will be "Hogwarts". Keep each other safe: keep faith. Goodnight." The dials of the radio began turning, forcing white noise from the speakers.

They all sat in silence for about half a minute then suddenly an eruption of noise filled the Room. People began gossiping with their neighbours about what they had all just heard. Neville was filled with an elating sense of hope. So they **were** on some kind of mission... carrying out some kind of task...and Gringotts... at least we know where they are now...maybe they were going to come back! The group spent an hour sharing thoughts and stories, fantasising about the three friends that they had all missed so dearly. All Neville remembered was peering through his heavily lidded eyes at the faintly glowing torches before falling into a very deep sleep.

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**Andddd there you have it! What do you think? Read on to chapter two, I loved writing it! xx**


	2. Torture & Torment

**A/N Here it is! Might need some tissues for the end! xx**

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Once again, Neville didn't remember much from the next exam-dense day**, **using his free lessons to jam revision notes into his head and for a quick caffeine fix before hurtling off to his next exam. It had only been the second day of examinations and Neville was already entirely fed up. He no longer cared whether he passed or failed, he simply longed for these stressful few days to draw to a close.

After dinner, instead of accompanying Seamus and Dean back to the Room of Requirement, he bade them goodbye at the foot of the marble staircase and checked to see if they had really departed for the seventh floor before dashing off to the spiral staircase leading downstairs towards the dungeons. It had been a while since Neville had done this. Ceasing his daily routine to sneak around corridors and shelter himself from familiar faces had made him reckless. He felt so alive, so awake with excitment, as if a laser was shooting currents around his body. He stole a quick glance at his watch. 7:32 shone the gold digits. _Everyone must be safely in their common rooms by now_, Neville thought. He was in the dungeons and the last thing he wanted was a late Slytherin to pass him on their way to the cold common room.

Neville's feet were carrying him through a bend on the right side of the corridor. As he part-walked, part-jogged, Neville could see the tufts of smoke issuing from his mouth from the freezing atmosphere. He spun around and stopped. This blank part of wall would suffice. He hunted around in his schoolbag for what he needed amongst the books and finally pulled out one of Fred & George's Bold Permanent Quills. Once again facing the wall and crouching down, he began to shift the Quill on the wall to write:

Dumbledore's Army

Still Recrui-

But he never got to finish what he intended to graffiti on the hard stone wall. His head jerked away from his writing when he heard footsteps echoing through the dungeons. Someone was coming down the passageway stairs. This is exactly what he had dreaded.  
"Why me?" Neville quietly whined to himself. He tried to move but his feet were firmly rooted to the spot, his knees bent into a crouch and his arms outstretched, hands grasping the poised Quill.

As the footsteps grew louder so did voices, bouncing off the dark walls. Neville finally managed to control his feet and hastily stood up, attempting to fling his bag over his shoulder, just in time to make a quick and soundless escape when-  
"OI! YOU!" a voice yelled, its echoes ringing through the corridors. Neville knew that it was now pointless to try and exit the chilled dungeons**,** so**,** neglecting his exhaustion and summoning up every ounce of courage in him, he swivelled around to come face to face with none other than Gregory Goyle and Vincent Crabbe flogged by their fellow Slytherins, all of them sporting smug sneers on their faces.

"Nice to have some of your own cronies eh? No need to follow ickle Malfoy like lapdogs?" Neville challenged. He had his wand ready for a fight, but he was not quick enough. Crabbe moved forwards and grabbed Neville by the scruff of his collar and pushed him hard against the wall. Neville heard his robes tear as his wand clattered to the floor and he braced himself for the heavy blows.  
"Watch your mouth, Longbottom**.**" Crabbe sneered. With that he released Neville's collar using so much force that he fell into a crumpled heap on the floor.

His opponent may have backed away, but Neville was outnumbered and no sooner had Crabbe retreated than Goyle took up the position as the prominent bully to pelt Neville's already worn body. They all took turns to advance upon Neville's recoiling figure and inflict more pain. Each time he looked up, he saw a different face - _Flint, Pucey, Zabini, Pansy Parkinson_... _back to Crabbe and Goyle,_ all of them were thoroughly enjoying themselves. With each punch, kick, slap and scratch Neville felt like bombs of fire were exploding in his body as he willed for the pain to stop. When the gang finally grew disinterested, they flashed a final gloating smile, ignoring Neville's glowering look of disgust**,** before shrinking into the darkness and disappearing down the corridor towards their common room.

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Neville struggled to get back up after his assault and gingerly made his up the staircase and into the bright ambience of the Entrance Hall. A few prefects were patrolling the corridors and few teachers were still at the Head table finishing the last remnants of their dinner. Neville kept his head down and tiredly treaded up the Marble Staircase, clinging onto the railing for support as he limped towards the fourth floor landing.

When he climbed into the portrait hole he continued to try to hide his injuries from the Gryffindors, but failed miserably. Before long, he was surrounded by peers who were all extremely anxious for him. Ignoring the inquiring faces around him, his eyes searched for Seamus and Dean. Once he caught their eye, he shook his head at them and they understood.

After that he had no recollection of how he managed to shake off the crowd and reach his dormitory, but he was extremely grateful to finally lie down on his warm four poster bed. Neville made a mental note to thank Seamus and Dean, as he surely couldn't have made it to the dormitory without their assistance. He made to pull the hangings around him, but caught a glimpse of Harry and Ron's old beds, in the corner of the room. Although his body longed for a good rest, his brain rushed with thoughts of Harry Ron and Hermione.

They would have stood up for him. Harry would've been braver**,** would've fought back. The words that others taunted him with were true: he was worthless. Cradling his injured arm in his hands, he reminisced on how Hermione would've been able to heal these bruises on his arms and legs instantly. And Ron, having five ambitious older brothers, he would've understood Neville more than anyone else. Ron would've cheered him up, made him smile.

He missed them all so much; he wanted them to return to Hogwarts. They were the only people that made him feel special, important and welcome. Neville had tried all year to prove himself, to continue Harry's leading role in Dumbledore's Army. He lay down on his bed and found comfort in the soft cushioning of his pillow. Neville felt the back of his eyes burn, he closed them and one fat teardrop fell from his eyes with a quiet _drip_ onto the pillow.

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***tickk* Hope you enjoyed it! Chapter 3 is coming soon.. xx**


	3. Suffering Stops

**Voici, Voila! Last chapter (I told you it was short) xx**

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The next morning, Neville tumbled out of his bed and immediately told himself that he had exams, before he had the opportunity to forget about them. Although he got next to no studying complete over the course of the past few nights, he shrugged: at least he was aware of the tests. He wanted to get down to breakfast quickly before the Slytherins began jeering at him for the previous night's incident. He had no doubt that the group had relived the details of what happened in the dungeons yesterday to the rest of their House.

Neville dressed quickly and turned to the small mirror sitting on his set of drawers. He nearly yelped as he jumped back in surprise. His left eye was fully swollen. You could tell the swelling once was a deep purple but now sported putrid green. After examining his eye once more, Neville pushed the mirror back against the drawers and rushed out of the dormitory down the stone steps.

As he pushed through the portrait hole, his robes caught onto the frame of the Fat Lady's large canvas. He squinted down, praying for patience as the Fat Lady began complaining angrily.  
"Just** have** to go and wake me up. So ungrateful. Can't just leave me in peace. Bet you're happy with yourself eh? Got to annoy the** fat** lady!" She cried, hysterical with agitation. Neville just noticed that he was wearing the torn robes from yesterday. He contemplated going back and changing, but decided against it. Hastily muttering an apology that he hardly meant to the Fat Lady, he sprinted for the marble staircase.

When he finally reached the Great Hall, he snuck a glance at the Slytherin table who at the sight of him began yelling.  
"Longbottom, what'd you get up to last night**,** eh?" one sneered.  
"Hey Longbottom, can I just say, you've never looked better!" Another scoffed. Sighing and turning towards the table on the other side of the Hall, Neville miserably slumped towards his long awaited breakfast.

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At last exams were finished. Never again in this lifetime would Neville sit another examination. He was just returning to the Gryffindor common room when he heard Seamus call his name.  
"Neville! Didn't you see the sign earlier? Seventh years have an assembly with Snape in the Entrance Hall!" Seamus called from the foot of the moving staircase. Of course, Neville hadn't seen the sign; he was too busy scampering off to the Great Hall for his breakfast. Suppressing a groan, Neville trudged behind Seamus who led the way down to the Entrance Hall.

When they finally arrived, Snape was standing boldly at the bottom of the spiral staircase, his dark black eyes forced into slits as his gaze followed Neville and Seamus. Looking around, Neville suddenly felt a pang in his heart. This entire year level standing here in the Entrance Hall eerily reminded him of the first time they entered Hogwarts to be Sorted. A small smile played at his lips but he forced himself to focus on their Headmaster.

"Listen!" Snape's voice echoed around the room. "I'm going to make this short. As I am aware, you have all completed your studies and exams for this final year. However..." Snape hesitated before continuing, "exciting you may find this time, I have henceforth forbidden public celebration or celebration that may distract others within this castle. Excuse me?" Snape's head jerked up. "You three are very late!" Everyone turned to stare in the direction which Snape was glaring, his eyes ablaze with fury. Neville turned his head so fast that he cricked his neck. Three Hufflepuffs had just tumbled into the Hall and immediately stopped at the infuriated look of Snape's face.  
"Sorry Sna - I mean... Headmaster!" the closest of the three panted, out of breath. Sighing, Snape continued.  
"Do you all understand my words clearly?" He yelled into the silence. Shocked from the sudden raise of tone, everyone frantically began nodding their heads, more in fear than anything else.

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Whilst students were banned from these celebrations by their dear Headmaster, you could see the excited look on every seventh years' face, eager to hastily return to their common rooms and begin their long night of celebrating. Dumbledore's Army had already organised to celebrate in the Room of Requirement**,** and so small groups were departing the Great Hall to the seventh floor so as not to arouse suspicion. When Neville, Dean and Seamus were leaving**,** they immediately began talking animatedly about the Muggle Studies paper they had just sat.

Once they entered the Room there was an immediate explosion of noise and chatter. Neville couldn't hide his relief. He grinned as he allowed himself to be pushed around by the crowd, students shoving bottles of Butterbeer and Honeydukes lollies in his hands.  
No more exams!" Seamus exclaimed loudly holding up his tankard of Butterbeer. Everyone followed in suit, cheering and raising their drinks.

Towards the back of the Room people had stopped talking and stared at a small figure slowly appearing through the usually blank portrait. Neville and Dean pushed their way through the crowd and came to face the large frame. They all knew who the person would be. Gradually growing larger, the girl they were all longing to see again appeared. Ariana Dumbledore. She lifted a ghostly hand and looked Neville straight in the eye as she beckoned him closer. Neville knew it was time. He advanced closer to the portrait and it swung forwards.

Turning to give the others a last uneasy glance over his shoulder, he climbed into the portrait hole, straightened up and broke into a run all the way down the stone passage. When he reached the end he closed his eyes and inhaled heavily trying to catch his breath. _Please let it be them, please let it be them_, he pleaded. He slowly pushed open the second portrait hole and was greeted with Aberforth's grim smile at the back of the room. He looked down at the three people that he had most wanted to see all year. Harry, Ron and Hermione all had looks of utter disbelief plastered on their faces.  
"I knew you'd come! I knew it Harry!" Neville was breathless with joy.  
"Neville - what the - how - ?" Harry spluttered. Neville didn't bother answering him. It was exactly what Hogwarts needed. Exactly what he needed. His One Last Hope; it was complete. Just like him.

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**Thanks so much for embarking on my tiny adventure! Hopefully I didn't contradict anything J.K. Rowling has already written in those 7 fantabulous books of hers. Hopefully I'll be writing again soon! Love xx**


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